Copyright: Everything here is original. Any use of this story,
in any way, must be with the express permission of the author.

Disclaimer: There is violence within and also the concept of
two women in love, so read at your own risk.

Feedback is appreciated.

It all started innocently enough. Two friends wrestling each
other in a tangle of limbs. We weren't even supposed to know each other. Her
clan always seemed to find a reason to ride against mine. It didn't matter to
us though. We were young and stupid. We thought that nothing could touch us
as long as we had our love. We were wrong.

Her father found out about us through Tabor. He was jealous
of me. He had always thought that he was the one for her. He followed us to
one of our clandestine meeting places and was enraged by what he saw. He immediately
went for her father. They showed up when we were in an embrace. We never even
heard them coming. I was unceremoniously yanked from her arms and thrown to
the cold packed earth. She was begging her father to spare me, but all that
she got for her trouble was a dagger in the gut. Tabor wasn't about to let her
live, if she still wanted me. She silently called my name as she fell. I tried
to get to her, but a well-placed boot stopped my struggles. I was gasping for
air, but the beating continued. The world went black.

I'm not sure how long I had been lying there, but I was
feeling no pain. I got up and looked around. I saw her standing a couple of
feet away. "Mara?", I asked surprised and yet not. She nodded and beckoned me
forward. I went to her and she pointed to the ground behind me.

I was shocked, but I knew somehow that this is how it was
meant to be. My cold lifeless body lay where it fell, blood soaking into the
dirt. Oddly enough, there was a smile on my face. I could tell that I was at
peace. I looked at her and she seemed to be able to read my mind.

"You goaded them into killing you. You said that your life
wasn't worth living without me. They wanted you to live, so that they could
use you against your family. My father wanted you to suffer for my death. He
knew no compassion or mercy. But you knew what to say to Tabor. He hated you
even more than he hated me for not wanting him."

"What do we do now? Is this what death is like?"

"We are not exactly dead."

Brin felt her groin tighten in fear. She had heard of those
who haunted the living from beyond. "I don't know if I'm going to like the answer,
but what do you mean?"

"Our love knew no bounds. Human trappings were all that
our bodies were. We've been chosen as Guardians for young lovers everywhere.
Oh Brin, with us around we can help others who face going through what we did
just for loving those who others say it's wrong to love. We are powerful through
our love."

Brin knew that everything that Nadia said had made sense.
She felt it in the core of her astral being.

From then on, there were stories of young lovers who could
never have survived if not for the help of a mysterious young couple who always
seemed to be one step ahead of those who would get in the way of true love.